I Kings 19:1-18
Depression: Taking Care of the Psychological Needs
Introduction
A. Today we are going to finish our study on depression
B. I hope you have found it to be very beneficial to you
C. I am sorry that I did not tape these sermons, It is something I have to get in the habit of doing I know
D. The full notes are available however just by asking me or by going on Sermon Central looking for sermons by contributors last name
E. Last week we looked at the physical ways to treat depression, today we are going to look at the psychological ways.
F. Now keep in mind that God waited until he had Elijah stable. He did not do this when Elijah was flipping out back in verse 4. Waited about 6 weeks
G. There is good reason for that. It is hard to do much of anything when you’re that upset.
H. Follow the same course when you are helping someone. Show them that you love them, help them with the physical stuff and then move on to the psychological areas
I. Today we are going to look at what God showed Elijah and said to Elijah and apply it to our lives
J. Today we are going to be keying in on verse 9-18 (Read them)
I. Discover the Problem
A. Explanation
1. Notice what it says in Verse 9
2. “What are you doing here Elijah?”
3. This sounds like a question, but it is not a question of God
4. See God knew the answer, in fact God always knows the answer
5. There is never anything that God does not know, He know everything.
6. The point of the question was to get Elijah to focus on the actual problem
7. Often a depressed person will become so depressed that they forget the actual problem in the first place
8. So God make Elijah focus on the problem
B. Application
1. When you are trying to council with a depressed person, focus on the problem
2. Do no focus on everything that is wrong
3. Once a person is depressed sometime they will forget why there depressed in the first place
4. Next thing you know they are depressed because their breakfast wasn’t good. Which is obviously not the case
5. Once you find out the root problem then you can move on
6. Often the case is when you find out what the problem actually is, you realize it is not that big of a deal
7. And if you just talk through it, quickly you can solve the problem
C. Illustration
1. When I was counseling up at Edinboro I had a kid who started to cry and cry during the service. I had no idea why. So after the service I was talking to him and talking and talking and asking him different questions to figure out what is wrong, finally I got him to reveal that he was scared cause he did not know Jesus, well then I had the privilege of telling the him about God’s salvation, and he accepted Christ as his savior.
2. Once we got to the root, the solution was easy.
3. Take the time to try and figure out the root cause, it will help you tremendously when dealing with a person
4. Some are easier to detect then others, if you are dealing with a person whose kid or spouse just died a month ago that is a good place to start.
5. Others will take more investigating
II. Realize God is in Control
A. Explanation
1. Vs. 11 through 13 can be the some of the hardest verse to understand in the whole Bible
2. But in a couple of minutes you will be able to understand them
3. Wind
a) 18:45 Wind – God was in that wind, but God is not there this time
4. Earthquake
a) 17:22 – That was an earth shaking miracle, but God is not in this one
5. Fire
a) 18:38 – The Lord was in that fire, but not this one
6. Gentle whisper
a) God was in the gentle whisper
B. Application
1. See Elijah had experience some of the most powerful miracles ever recorded
2. But just because there is not a miracle going does not mean that God is not there
3. We often get this thought that if we don’t feel God, He is not there
4. If we are just going through an ordinary time in our life, He is not there
5. But God is proving to Elijah, that He is always there for Him
6. God has never left. Bad times, he there. Good times, he there. God is always with us!
C. Illustration
1. There are times in our lives were we have just enough money to pay the bills. And when that happens we rejoice and thank God. However there are times in our lives when we are doing ok, and of course we have plenty of money to pay the bills. Our focus shifts from thanking God for providing to how do they get a way with charging so much.
2. If God were to actually leave, that would be depressing.
3. However, that will never happen.
4. Once you realize that God is there no matter what,
5. You will be uplifted.
6. If you are dealing with one who is depressed, remind them in a GENTLE way that God is there. Make sure it is gentle. But remind them
7. Show them that God is there for them.
III. Find a meaningful task
A. Explanation
1. You notice that in verses 15-17 God gave Elijah some work to do
2. Now anointing people as King is a very important task
3. This is not just run down to the store and pick me up a gallon of Milk
4. This is a very important task to be taken
5. But God knew that Elijah needed to be doing an important task
6. Elijah was a busy man
7. He did not need just any task to occupy his time
8. He needed an important task
9. A task that he would find meaning
B. Application
1. You want to help someone with depression assign them something important to do
2. Assign them to a task were they know that they are doing something important
3. A lot of depressed people are super busy
4. Assign them any old task will not help but one that is meaningful will go a long way
C. Illustration
1. You know what happens a lot to people who retire? Either one or two things. Either they die right after they retire, or they become deeply depressed. You want to know why? Because they have nothing important to do anymore.
2. One of the best ways to cure depression is to give the person a meaningful task.
3. There is a task out there for everyone to do. Baking cookies for someone in order to cheer them up, that is important. Calling someone on the phone to make sure the person is doing good, important. Writing a note to someone to tell them you are thinking about them and praying for them, that is important
4. As long as you are doing something that will help someone else, you will find meaning and purpose
5. Meaning and purpose will prevent depression
6. Let me see a quick show of hands. How many people feel good when you help someone? That is what I thought!
IV. Find a Friend
A. Explanation
1. One of the people that Elijah was to anoint was Elisha
2. Now I know these names are really hard to tell the difference but they are two people
3. Now Elijah was basically Elisha mentor
4. These two hit it off
5. Soon they became really close friend
6. In fact if you were to look at 2 kings 2 you will notice 3 times Elisha specifically says that he would not leave Elijah
7. Elisha knew what was going to happen to Elijah
8. But he stuck with him to the end
B. Application
1. Folks that is what we need in our lives
2. We need to have friend, without friend we can not survive
3. If you are going through depression you need to maintain your friendships
4. Call someone up and ask them to do something with you.
5. Everyone needs friends, by the way even if you are not suffering from depression you still need friends
6. If you are helping someone through depression
7. You better be willing to be an Elisha
8. They need you! They can not do it on their own, if they could they would
9. Be there for them
C. Illustration
1. I am Mr. Independent. I do not feel like I need anybody. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I understand that verse. So I would like to think, If there is one lesson that marriage has taught me, is I need Heather to help me through this life. Even me, Mr. Independent. When things are going tough Heather is there for me! That is so important.
V. What really is going on
A. Explanation
1. Take a look at Verse 18. You notice that the Lord revealed to Elijah that he is not the only one
2. That there were in fact 7000 other people.
3. That’s right Mr. I am the only one left, should have said I am only 1 and 7000 left.
4. It is amazing that Elijah was so blind to the other 6999 people following God
5. He just completely miss that fact
6. He could not understand why he was they only one who had to put up with this
7. When in reality he was not
B. Application
1. Occasionally, like this for instance, God will reveal things to us.
2. God will let us see behind the scenes. And then we will understand what God is saying
3. Someone is quoted as saying God’s will is exactly what we would do if we knew all the details
4. There are a lot of situations in your life that just will not make sense. Loss of job, loss of loved ones. Things in your life that will not makes sense
5. You will not know why God let this happen
C. Illustration
1. Do any of you know Bill Barley is? Bill Barley is the Pastor of the Brookville CMA. Great Guy. Was called in the ministry went with his family down to Toccoa, that is where I meant him, graduated and went to Brookville. He is smart, has a lovely family, kind, friendly, this guy is the complete package. When I was directing up at Edinboro this year, his daughter was a camper and got pink eye, so she had to be sent home. He came and picked her up, and checked in with me. I was with a couple of other staff members talking about the Oral Exam failure. He walked in, listened for a couple of minutes then said this. Dan you will get through, last year I did not even get to take the oral because my written was too bad, I took it this year, did better, pass the oral exam and I am done!”
2. You will not know what that did for me. He will never know what that did for me
3. Here it is, this guy who I feel has everything going for him, admitting to me that he failed, I could see that he did not want to share this freely, but he was led by the Spirit to share it.
4. I am sure that this experience he will be able to share to encourage someone else. But for him to share that with me was really special.
5. Maybe God let that happen in order to help me later on.
6. Course if you ask Bill why this was happening to him last year, I am sure he would not have had an answer
7. Situations in our lives, good or bad, can be useful to help someone through depression
8. If you are talking to someone and you feel that you have had a similar problem, share, be transparent. Don’t lie; tell them the truth, it hurt. Hurt bad
9. You know the song that Neal and Marsha sang, its true. God will make a way
Conclusion
A. If there is one thing I would like to add to this whole study of depression it is how God did it
B. God did with Love
C. When you are going through depression, due these things that we talked about the last couple of weeks
D. Both the physical and psychological
E. If your helping someone who is depressed, love them and treat the depression the same way God did
F. Maybe there is a situation in your life that you are still mad at God about, you feel abandon, mistreated, and your are just angry with God about.
G. And today you realize that your wrong and you want to move on. If that is you come deal with God
H. Maybe you are one who is suffering through depression and would like help, if that is you, you have two choices one is to come forward now, the other is to talk to me or one of the elders before you walk out of this building.
I. If you are someone who is trying to help someone through depression, your commitment today should be to be an Elisha. To be willing to be that type of friend, that is what your friend needs
J. WE get into situations in our lives were there just does not seem to be way. And yet God makes a way (walk to communion table)
K. 2000 years ago we were facing a situation that could not be solved, so we thought, then came Jesus
